Problem: Ashley has 8 oranges for every 9 coconuts. Write the ratio of oranges to coconuts as a simplified fraction.
Answer: Ratios can be written in a few different ways that mean the same thing. You can express a ratio with a colon separating the two numbers. $8:9$ You can write it out as a phrase like this. $8 \text{ to } 9$ Or, you can express a ratio as a fraction. $\dfrac{8}{9}$ Therefore, $\dfrac{8}{9}$ is the ratio of oranges to coconuts written as a simplified fraction.